Friday, November 5, 2010

I have no idea who this kid is, but Iguarantee that by now he has a blog.

Brian Burke made headlines in Toronto this week with a verbal attack aimed at Maple Leaf fans. After new captain Dion Phaneuf appeared to be booed by a small group of fans during Saturday's game, Burke held court with media to blast the response as "disgraceful".

Burke highlights a classic dilemma. Is it ever OK for a fan to boo? If so, when? And at who? It's a confusing issue, with different standards depending on who you talk to.

I think it's time to start working towards some guidelines. I can't claim to have all the answers, but here are some suggestions to get the discussion started.

Current playersBooing of a current player is controversial. On the one hand, you've just paid hundreds of dollars to watch a multi-millionaire play a game and you may feel like you have a right to express your opinion. On the other hand, booing can make players feel sad, and sad players are less likely to do fun things like crosscheck each other in the larynx.

Here are some do's and don't to help you decide who to boo.

DO: Boo the player at an appropriate time, such as when they have possession of the puck.DO NOT: Boo the player at an inappropriate time, such as when they're dropping their children off at daycare.

DO NOT: Boo your new captain who has only had the "C" for ten games.DO: Wait until he's played a more reasonable number, like 11.

DO: Boo players who may be struggling due to a lack of conditioning.DO NOT: Suffer any cognitive dissonance over doing so while face-mashing your fourth hot dog of the period.

Opposing playersWhile booing a home team player may be frowned upon, it goes without saying that opposing players are held to a different standard. That said, you can't just boo every player who comes into your building. Standards are important.

In general, players targeted for booing should be star players who have committed an unforgivable sin against your favourite team, such as throwing a body check or scoring a goal or playing reasonably well. In addition, the following players can be booed at all times:

Sean Avery

Daniel Carcillo

Daniel Alfredsson, but only when playing in a building packed with Leaf fans, such as in Toronto or Ottawa

Chris Pronger

Any player who has caused the game to be delayed by paramedics after angering Chris Pronger

Any player who does that "point into the stands and look for a referee after the puck goes over the glass" thing.

Rick Rypien, assuming you have your lawyer on speed dial.

Finally, hockey fans should boo center Mattias Ritola of the Tampa Bay Lightning every time he touches the puck. This isn't really a rule; I just think it would be funny if we all started doing it at once for no reason. If he gets confused and asks what's going on, just yell "You know what you did!" and then boo even louder. Let's make this happen.

Former playersDeciding whether or not to boo a returning former player can be tricky. While there is often lingering resentment over a player's departure, it can seem hypocritical to boo a player who you've spent the last several years cheering for.

Based on my observations of fans around the league, it would appear that booing a returning player is allowed if and only if:

The player left the team in a trade

The player left the team as a free agent

The player left the team as part of an expansion draft

They refused to waive a no-trade clause

They agreed to waive a no-trade clause

They played well for your team

They played poorly for your team

They are a carbon-based life form

But except for those very specific circumstances, booing a returning former player is never allowed.

Non-playersOf course, players aren't the only participants in an NHL game. Anyone who appears in front of fans is a potential booing target. But should they be?

Referees and linesmen should not be booed unless they have done something to deserve it, such as step on to the ice.

Booing of a national anthem is never acceptable. However, it is appropriate to boo the anthem singer if they are eight minutes into their reinterpretation of The Star Spangled Banner and still haven't got to the part about the rockets and bombs.

Finally, it should go without saying that it is never OK to boo the small children who take part in the exhibition games during intermission. Instead, just stick to chanting "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

34 comments:

I think you need a special set of rules for the Bell Centre: Record yourself booing loudly and play it on a loop from the time you enter the building until you leave. And don't forget your lighter at home. You may need it after the game.

How about booing the fans who have seats near the corners and feel it is necessary to stand up when they feel the camera wants to show them and not the play down in the end? Why couldn't Rypien go after those folks instead?

Lol poor Ritola... I almost can't wait for the next time the Leafs play Tampa just to see how many people follow through on it. Poor guy might have a nervous breakdown...

And obviously I wasn't the only one who nearly fell asleep during the anthems last week *cough* Boston *cough*. The poor players on the ice probably needed a line change after being on their feet for so long... :P

"Referees and linesmen should not be booed unless they have done something to deserve it, such as step on to the ice."

This one had me rolling because I have had friends ask me why I'm booing the refs and linesmen and I reply, "Well they started it! They decided to step out on the ice!"... I was especially cruel to Bill McCreary, bwahahaha.

That's the biggest load of crap I ever read. Who wrote that, some Canadian? Here's all you need to know: Home team: if your team or an individual player fails to show heart or effort, boo. Opposing team: if a player has done your team or favorite player wrong in the past, does something that you can consider dirty, purposefully underhanded, cheap, has stiffed your team in the past, or plays for a long-time rival, boo. This is Philadelphia 101.

I will boo Mattias Ritola. I will flip-off a Red Wing. I will push people who still wear Brind'Amor's jersey down the steps while booing Can Ward. I will buy an overly priced American beer,(that I have no intention on drinking) and proceed to spill it on a little kid whose parents will not stand up for them. I will go to the A.C.C. and pee on the legs of Toronto business men while booing Dion Phaneuf. I will OBEY.